Improvement in manure-forks



-2 Shets-Sheet 1.

'J. W. HORST. MANURE PORK.

Patefited Ju1y14, 1868.

Witnesses.

" 2 Sheets-Shet2.

J, W. HORST.

' MANURE FORK.

Patented July 14, 1868.

Witnesses.

ment. Fig. 2 is a" longitudinal section taken lions of the fork andsled-runners in the actot upon which therunuers rest, and which willUNITED ST TES- PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB W. nons-T, on Ann VILLE,;PENNSYLVANIA= 'I'M PaoVEM ENT IN MANURE-FO R'KS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 79,831, dated July 14, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB W. HORST,-0f Annville, in the county ofLebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a'Uombined Fork andSled; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,andexact'description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this spccification,i n w-hich- Figure 1 is aperspective view of the implecentrally/through the implement, showingthe positions the several parts would assume relatively to eachotherit'carrying a load. Fig.3 is asectionallview, showing the relativeposidischarging a load. Fig. 4 is' a top view of the implement. v aSimilar Iettersot reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Thisinvention relates to improvementson implements whicharc designed forremoving manure, chaff, and other substances from Sta bles and barns.

.It consists in a fork and sled combined and constructed in a novelmanner, the fork-hcad being pivoted to sled-runners ot'an ovate form,and the runners and fork-handle being provided with means which willallow the tines to be supported above the level ot the surface alsoallow the tines to be dropped when it is desired to discharge a loadfrom them, as will be hereinafter explained. i

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construct-ion and operation. v

In'the accompanying drawings,'A A represent 'two sled-runners of anovate shape, which are shed with metal bands or tires and secured at aproper distance apart by means of crossheams B B. The runners and beamsform a rocking sled or carriage for supporting a fork and allowinga loaduponthe fork to be transported from one 'place'toanother with facility.The fork consists of a head, G, from which curved tihes E project, andto whicha handle, I), is firmly secured. The head G of this fork s.pivoted. between the rocking runners A A, ear their rear pointed ends,so that the fork can be made to assume the positions represented inFigs. 2 and 3, the first position being adapted for carrying a load andthe second position for discharging a load. The tines E, are curved,"sothat when they are-held in the position shown in- Fig. 2 their pointswill turn upward, so as not to be caught by objects in the path of theimplement.

To the front beam, B, a catch-bar, O, is pivoted, which extends back andpassesthrough an oblong slot, 6, made through the handle D. and has ahandle formed on its rear end, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This bar isconstructed with a catch or shoulder, f, upon its lower edge, which,when theparts are adjusted, as

shown in Figs. 1 and '2, will be brought against.

a hook, "2', on. the face-plate d of the handle D, thus holding theparts in said positions and supporting the points of the tines above thesurface upon which the runners rest. By raising thebar G it liftlfreeing itfrgm the hook i the tineswill drop, audit the implement isbeingdrawn forward they will catch into the ground and discharge theload by assuming the position shown in Fig. 3. i

To the upper front. corner of the fork-head G eyes 2 p are secured atequal distances on each side of the center of this head, and tothcseeycs draft-hounds Fare attached bv the ring a, to which the animalishitchcd for draw-- ing the implemcnh' The mode of using the implementis as fol lows: The attendant grasps the handle D, and when this handleis freetrom the latch-bar C plunges the tines into a. heap of manure orother substance to be moved. He then draws back the handle, and at thesame time forces the bar (J forward until the hook 12 catches behind theshoulders f, which operation will raise the load bodily and elevate thepoints ot' the tines E above the ground, so that they will not other anobstruction to the implement while moving it to the place fordischarging its load. It will be'seen that the ovate shape of therunners A will form rocking supports for the fork-and allow the tines tobe elevated high enough to clear obstructionsin the path. They alsoafford a support for the beam B, to which the bar G is pivoted, andallow this bar and the rear bar, B, to be raised high enough to leavethe necessary amount of space below them for receiving the load upon theforkand preventing the substance from scattering or escaping from thefork while being carried to the place for deposit.

Havin g described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secureby Letters sustaining a fork, and also a latching-bar, G,

Patent, iswhich passes through the handle of the fork,

1. The fork I) G E, pivoted to runners A A, substantially as set forth.

and provided with a latching-bar, 'O, substan- JACOB W. HORST.

tially as described. Witnesses:

2. The use of sled-runners A A, constructed HENRY B. BODENHORN,

substantially as described, and adapted for GEO. W. HOVERTER;

